This is Ink & Intrigue—the blog where romance ignites, secrets simmer, and every love story hides a twist. I’m your blog host, Sheila Kell, romance author and lover of plot twists, slow burns, and morally questionable book boyfriends.
Today, I’m thrilled to reintroduce you to an author whose stories tug at your heartstrings, make you think, and show how much she loves sports and is a friend of mine—Sheila Fowler! If you love sports romances, small town charm, and cozy mysteries, you’re in for a treat.
Sheila Fowler is known for her quirky characters, dachshunds (many dachshunds), and always a second chance at love. Her latest release, Riding The Wave, is a surfing romance with a dash of an age-gap romance, topped off with a secret identity.
In this spotlight, Sheila Fowler shares a fun fact and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Riding The Wave.
Whether you write love stories, devour them, or dream of doing both, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it and give a warm welcome to Sheila Fowler! 💖
What drew you to writing romance in particular? I’ve always loved seeing two people get together when there is something keeping them apart. In my own life, I found that out. Then you have some romance books I loved to read that gave me that itch to write what I love so much.
What part of writing romance do you enjoy most—the meet-cute, the conflict, or the happily ever after? I love the meet-cute, and I haven’t used it as much as I should. In one book, I have the couple meeting after a “streeker” trips over a dog and into the FMC. It was funny to write and live through it in my head.
Can you tell us about your latest romance (other genre) and what inspired the story? My latest story is kind of a sequel to the previous one in the series. I introduced the MMC in Endless Summer, and I always knew I wanted him to find true love. Then, I saw that incredible photo of Kevin Davis and Emilie Beining (cover of Riding The Wave), and I knew exactly how I wanted to tell his romance. Kelly has always been unlucky in love, but the man is a Billionaire, so he’s doing something right. Sophia is stressed to the max, and needs a vacation. Why not visit her sister in Miami? She sees Kelly surfing, and loves that carefree attitude of his on the ocean. I love how the two of them meet, and I love how his secret life may tear her business life apart.
How did you develop the chemistry between your main characters? Kelly sees Sophia check into his hotel and is immediately drawn to her and her beauty. When Sophia sees Kelly for the first time, she’s intrigued, but she also thinks he’s just a surfer. I loved how the two seemed to fit together right away for me and them.
Are your characters based on real people, or entirely fictional? These are entirely fictional people. Or just two people I made up in my mind one day. (LOL)
What romance tropes do you love to write—and which ones do you avoid? I love Age-Gap and Second Chances. I’m scared to write Reverse Harem/Why Choose. But who knows? I may have to try it one of these days.
How has your writing evolved since your first book? My first book didn’t end the way most romances are supposed to. But I needed that story to end that way in order to write the other books in the series. So, I try not to write books that will make you cry too much now. I think we need more laughter in the world, so I try to do that with my writing.
Which books or authors have influenced you the most? Janet Evanovich’s books helped me create my Saddle Key Mystery series. I even used her idea of numbers for each book in the series.
What do you like to read in your free time? A good Sheila Kell book (wink), any romance with a twist is fun, and I can’t wait to delve into a mystery series.
How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life? I’m a busy gal. I have a full-time job in TV Research, so that takes up the majority of my day. Then I have this adorable dachshund named Hoagie who needs all the other time I have. Wait! I have a husband as well. When do I have time to write? Normally I write on the weekends. It gives me a little peace and quiet without worrying about work and other aspects of life.
What are you working on next? The 2nd book in my Willow Creek Romances called Autumn Leaves in Willow Creek. This is a small-town romance with a best friend’s sister romance (something I’ve never written before).
Do you have a dream project you hope to write someday? I do. It came true this week. I’m writing a Pirate Romance. Can’t wait for that one.
Are there any genres you’d like to explore that you haven’t yet? Paranormal (and that is coming next).
What do you hope your legacy as a writer will be? She wrote what she loved!
Sheila’s BIO:
Sheila Fowler is an award-winning author, a lover of TV, and a dachshund fanatic. She is the beloved mother of 4 of those little hot dogs. Sheila and her husband George are living that romantic trope life. He’s older – age-gap romance. They met when he was married – forbidden love. They found each other again after a couple of years apart – 2nd chance romance.
It’s no wonder those are Sheila’s favorite romantic stories. Over the past four years, Sheila has written over 25 books. She has seven different series that compose these books.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Sheila Fowler and hearing about her journey, inspirations, and latest swoon-worthy release, Riding the Wave. If you haven’t added this to your TBR yet, now’s the time—trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 💖
You can connect with Sheila Fowler here:
📚 Website/📱 Socials: https://linktr.ee/rockafowlers
🛒 Grab her books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1NGSK4V
Thank you for joining me in spotlighting a fellow romance lover who’s giving us all the feels. Stay tuned for more author features, book talk, and behind-the-scenes romance goodness.
Until next time—keep reading, keep swooning! 💖